Creamy Baked Kale and Artichoke Dip from The Colorful Kitchen (Plant Of The Month Club Recipe!)

I did a podcast interview a few weeks ago where the host asked me about the food I like to eat. I told her that I really only liked quick and easy recipes. And then she responded with “But don’t you LOVE food?! Don’t you want fancy and complex dishes, too?” And I do. But I want other people to make them for me. Like a chef. At a restaurant.

When I’m doing the cooking, I like quick meals that don’t require a ton of work (no dehydrating or fermenting for days) – and most importantly, have very few ingredients. If a recipe requires a lot of time in the kitchen and a bunch of ingredients I don’t have…I’m not making it.

This is why I love Ilene Godofsky Moreno and her new book, The Colorful Kitchen. 

Ilene gets it. The recipes in The Colorful Kitchen are all so simple. As I flipped through the book, I noticed I had most of the ingredients already stocked in my pantry. Ilene did such an incredible job in this book of not only speaking to the newbie cook (who is trying to eat healthier), but also giving inspiration to those already savvy in the kitchen. It’s so rare to find that balance! And Ilene did it so beautifully. 

When Ilene said we could share a recipe from the book here, I went straight for one that used our Plant Of The Month veggie (Winter Greens!), but also one that still felt ooey and gooey. When we’re trying to add more greens to your diet, we often think it has to be a big bowl of bulky dry kale leaves where each bite takes 15 minutes to chew or a smoothie we’ve had 100 times. Nope! It can be Creamy Artichoke Dip with kale thrown in. This totally counts, too. And we’ve got the recipe below to prove it. Thanks, Ilene! 

{ Creamy Baked Kale and Artichoke Dip } 
   from The Colorful Kitchen
   Serves 12

CREAM
1 (13½-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
1½ cups cooked white beans (or one 15-ounce can)
½ cup nutritional yeast
Juice of 1 lemon

SAUTÉED KALE
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups shredded kale

EVERYTHING ELSE
3 cups chopped artichoke hearts (two 15-ounce cans)
Salt and black pepper, to taste

SERVING OPTIONS
Crackers
Chips
Toast

Preheat the oven to 400°F

To prepare the cream, combine all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Set aside.

To prepare the sautéed kale, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a cast iron skillet.* Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Turn the heat off, add the kale, and cook for 1–2 minutes, until the kale wilts.

Pour the cream mixture into the skillet. Add the artichoke hearts, salt, and pepper, and stir until thoroughly mixed.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until bubbly. Remove from the oven and enjoy warm with crackers, chips, or toast.

Kitchen note: Don’t have a cast iron skillet? Use a regular pan, then transfer the mixture to a baking dish to bake.

Want more Winter Green Recipes?
Check out Plant Of The Month Club Winter Green Recipe Roundup.